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Pat: This is Pat with MACkiteboarding.com and we're with Sam Medysky today. We're going to catch up and get a little bit of background about him.Sam: How's it going, guys?Pat: All right, Sam. So you grew up on Lake Huron, right? How was that growing up? I know you were influenced a lot by your dad being a windsurfer back in the day, so wind sports are kind of second nature to you.Sam: Yeah, when I was growing up my parents had a summer cottage on Lake Huron in Sauble Beach, so I'd spend my …

Pat: This is Pat with MACkiteboarding.com here with Nick Baines.Nick: Hey guys. I'm Nick Baines here with Reedin USA in the Outer Banks of North Carolina.Pat: So Nick, how did you end up getting into kiteboarding?Nick: I got into kiteboarding when I was 13 years old. My uncle, who is based in Saint Croix, sent me a trainer kite. I flew that thing religiously for a full year and then purchased my first kite, a 2002 Slingshot Fuel. I took it out to the beach and learned how to fly the kite a …

Hello, everybody. Welcome back to MACkiteboarding. This is Jake, and today I have the new 2023 North Flex LX footpads.Another footpad review, you might be asking? Yes, but these are super, super cool. It goes without saying that I really like the two strap zonal adjustment footstraps. I'm kind of a simp for the Duotone Entity straps. The issue with those is that the hole spacing leaves them incompatible with most boards on the market. They're sized to have a seven-inch spacing, while most …

Welcome back to MACkite. This is Jake, and today we are answering the question about whether you should take a lesson before getting into kiteboarding. Honestly, I think the answer is "yes", but I'm going to talk a little bit about my personal experience, why I think that answer is yes, and I'll also go over the steps that you should take to have a safe and successful kiteboarding journey if you don't take a lesson.My Experience When Learning to KiteboardTo be honest, when I got started wit …

Welcome back to MACkiteboarding. This is Jake, and today I'm going to talk about something we have a lot of experience with here in Michigan, and that is making the most of those light wind days. I'm going to break it down into the three ways to do it: a big kite, a big board, and a hydrofoil. I'll rank them based on my personal preferences, take you through what I like and don't like about each, and hopefully that helps you to decide which direction you want to go when it comes to ex …

Welcome back to MACkite. This is Jake, and today I have the 2023 Duotone Entity straps. These have been a favorite of mine, so let's crack them open and see what is new.What's in the BoxLike most straps, they come disassembled, so we have the straps, the footpads, a couple extra heel pad stiffness options, a board handle, a little manual, and individually bagged hardware.Right off the bat, you'll notice a couple different screws. These are the handle screws and they go with your Duoton …

This is Dustin and Pat, and we're here today with the all-new Jaime. We're going to talk about the differences between the 2022 and the 2023 versions. We'll get into some of the design changes, why they made them, and whether the new version is right for you or if you should pick up an old version or hop over to a different model in the Duotone line.New Canted FinsDustin: One new key feature is the canted fins. They've adjusted them 10 degrees to face the outside of the rails. My first …

Welcome back! This is Jake from MACkiteboarding, and today we are going to talk about whether you should go with a 15 or a 17m for your light wind kite. Don't get too hung up on the numbers; essentially think of it as whether you should go with something smaller in the 14/15m range, or something 17/18m plus, but we're going to say 15 or 17m for the sake of this discussion.Advantages of a 17m KiteThis is a tough one, and honestly, my thoughts on it have changed over time. Early on, I was alw …

This is Pat with MACkiteboarding.com, and I'm checking out the new Moto X kite from Cabrinha.Launching at the BeachIt's 24 degrees air temp at the beach, blowing about mid-20s, so it feels like it's 10 degrees, and we are on the new Moto X 9 meter. My initial impression on the launch of the kite is that it doesn't feel like a Cabrinha kite. It's a lot lighter in the bar than I'm used to with Cabrinha, which I think is a big plus. It feels a lot more akin to the Eleveight RS, the North Re …

It’s finally here! We are excited to announce the newest Cabrinha Kiteboarding lineup for 2023. This latest offering includes the ever-popular Moto X, Switchblade, Drifter, Contra, Contra Aether, FX2, and Nitro. Each of these kites has been crafted with precision and special attention to performance, offering an unmatched experience on the water.  2023 Cabrinha Moto X The  Cabrinha Moto X is designed for power lovers who lik …

FireFins - The Quick Swap Fins for Kiteboarding and WakeboardingThis is Pat with MACkiteboarding.com here to talk today about the FireFins. I've been riding these all summer long, and I'm going to give you my impressions: what I liked and what I didn't like about them, and why they might be right for you.What Are the FireFins?They're basically a third-party fin replacement. They work with just about any board on the market, it seems like. They've replaced the stock fins that the board come …

This blog post provides an in-depth look at the five key steps necessary to learn how to water start when kiteboarding or kitesurfing. The first step is to get comfortable with the kite, learning how to launch and land it, as well as understanding its wind window. The second step involves compressing your body into a smaller package, which involves using the power of the kite to pull you through the water and upwind. Step three is getting onto the board, where you will need to carefully balan …

Credit to Damo, Gwen, and Evan for stoking everyone on the Cabrinha Logic! The  Cabrinha Logic is an amazing kite foilboard that offers riders great performance. It features a Dakine pad and a long track in the back, making it easy to adjust the placement of your foil. The board has various strap configurations, such as two straps in front or one centered strap for regular or goofy riding. It also comes in three different sizes: 3’7", which is great for beginners, 4'2", and 4' …

This is Aaron from MACkite with Ben from Duotone. I was asking Ben about some of the overlap within the Duotone kite product line. Aaron: I've been a fan of both the Neo and the Dice because of their surf characteristics, and I started thinking how, within the entire line of kites, there is some functional overlap between the different models. What are your thoughts on the design process behind that and how those design concepts come into play? Ben: We do have quite the lineup of kite …

"And so I'm here at the Ocean Rodeo headquarters where Aluula is being tested, and I am going to be doing some load-testing on some Aluula that I have here, and I'm going to compare it to some standard Dacron that is normally used on the leading edge of kites. Alright, so the Aluula weighed in at 78 GSM, and the Dimension Polyne Dacron weighed in at 157 GSM. And so when we go into this tear test, which is going to happen next, keep in mind that the Aluula is basically half the weigh …